Frig Full of Lots of Crappy Food

I actually did quite a bit of cooking last Tuesday on my home-from-work day. Kelly and Rory were both sick and slept most of the day away. I did a Red-Wine Braised Short Rib dish, a Wine Braised Brisket, and I also threw in a Maple-Cumin chicken. All 3 were pretty much disasters. See pictures below AKA Charred blocks of Short Ribs, Stiff & Shitty Brisket Blobs, and didn't bother with Soggy Ass Chicken. I guess it was okay, then, that my whole family (but me) got the worst stomach bug anyway. I feel slightly less bad about dumping all this crappy food now.

I think the big problem with the 2 beef dishes is that I tried to half the recipes. Who needs a 5lb hunk of meat when there are only 2 adults eating, 1 baby throwing food, and 2 kids I'm bribing to take 3 bites anyway???? It's easy to cut the recipe ingredients but I don't ever seem to get the right sized cooking vessel and then I definitely miss the boat on timing. You still want a long slow cook for a braise so that the cheaper meat cuts have time to break down. Then again, you have less liquid (which is why the short ribs burned, I'm guessing). The chicken went in and came out last and then sat out while I put the kids to bed so what should have been crispy yummy skin turned into a rubber duck.

Then, I barely recovered with Strawberry Muffins from me and Rory and then Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip cookies from Emeril in this months Everyday Food.